Metal mesh – the means of expression of a new artistic style
Dates: 23 October to 26 December 2010
Venue: Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Japan
A shimmering ceiling lining at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France was the first application where Dominique Perrault used metal mesh as a stylistic element. Photo © GKD
His meteoric rise began at the end of the 1980s with the Bibliothèque
Nationale de France in Paris when, aged just 36, Dominique Perrault won a
prestigious international design competition sponsored by the then President of
France, Francois Mitterrand. As the dominant style element he used metal mesh
manufactured by GKD – Gebr. Kufferath AG for the first time and developed the
new architectural style of "wrapping" using the textile structure of this
industrial material. With this minimalist design he immediately made an
international name for himself. From then on metal mesh was to be a frequently
used tool of his architectural vision to merge architecture with its environment.
In various projects, including the Berlin Sports Centre for Cycling and
Swimming, the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and the Madrid Stadium,
Perrault was constantly inspired to new interpretations in his work by the
functionality and subtlety of woven metal membranes. In 2008 the Pompidou Centre
in Paris awarded him a major exhibition for the first time. And just two years
later the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery is following up on the success of the
show in France. From 23 October to 26 December 2010 it will be displaying a
cross-section of Dominique Perrault's work from the design of the French
National Library up to the present day.
Various metal mesh elements provide sun protection and
support a pleasant athmosphere to read in the courtyards of the library. Photo © GKD
Understanding Perrault
Timed to coincide with the completion of the first Perrault project in Japan –
the glass-dominated Fukoku Seimei office building in Osaka – this major
exhibition of the work of the star French architect is due to open its doors in
Tokyo this autumn. The venue for the show is the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery,
which since its opening has featured the work of contemporary artists from the
worlds of painting, sculpture, photography, video, design, fashion and
architecture. With stark minimalism the gallery will be presenting videos and
models of Perrault's projects from the past 15 years in three themed areas. The
exhibition focuses on his philosophy which emphasises the links between
architecture and the natural environment as well as the process-based nature of
design. From vision to sketches, models, materials, photographs and video
impressions of finished objects, the dynamic process of creation is tracked and
made physically accessible in his message. Twelve lengths of semi-transparent
GKD Escale 7x1 metal mesh up to six metres in length hang as space dividers from
the ceiling and visually separate the two areas. Fifty lampshades made from
finely woven, pleated filtration mesh underline Perrault's creative involvement
with stainless steel mesh. A glass, true-to-scale mockup of the Fokoku Tower
creates the link with the present. The architecture of Perrault is brought to
life in short films by Richard Copan on video screens.
The golden metall mesh facade of the two towers
of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg make
them a widely visible landmark of the judicial institution. Photo © GKD / Perrault Architecte / ADAGP
Weaving inspiration
The National Library of France, with which Perrault began his journey to the top
of his profession, forms the starting point of the exhibition. In addition,
various other projects are displayed in which he has used metal mesh from the
international weaving mill in Düren as a fundamental design element.
Transparency and reflection, softness and purist strength of the textile skin
both blur and accentuate Perrault's concept and have continuously inspired him
to new interpretations in the interior and exterior design of his buildings.
Further Information:
Dominique Perrault Architecture
eMail: dpa@d-p-a.fr
web:
www.perraultarchitecte.com
Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
3-20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 163-1403 • Japan
Tel.: +81-03-5353-0756
web:
www.operacity.jp/en/ag
GKD – Gebr. Kufferath AG
Metallweberstraße 46
52353 Düren • Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2421 - 803-0
Fax: +49 (0) 2421 - 803-227
eMail: creativeweave@gkd.de
web: www.creativeweave.de
german version